Salaries in India may grow an average 9.2 percent in 2010, compared with a 6.3 percent gain this year, the Lincolnshire, Illinois-based company said. Wages in China may increase 6.7 percent next year from 4.5 percent in 2009, it said after a survey of 2,346 companies across 21 Asian nations.

“China and India’s role as the future growth engines of the global economy will continue to add fuel to the ongoing war for quality talent in these two markets,” Hewitt said. “It is not surprising to see the overall increases experienced by these markets, while they continue to lead against most other markets.”

India’s economy may expand 8.1 percent in 2010, compared with 5.9 percent in 2009, the World Bank estimates. The Washington-based lender forecasts 7.7 percent growth for China in 2010 compared with 7.2 percent in 2009.

Hewitt projects fewer companies in India will freeze salaries in 2010, compared with China. Six percent of companies in India may freeze wages this year, compared with 26.1 percent in 2009, Hewitt said in a statement dated Oct. 20.

About 8.3 percent firms in China could freeze salaries in 2010, it said. Hewitt surveyed 283 companies in India and 404 companies in China.

Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong are likely to report the slowest gain in average salaries next year by 2.1 percent, 2.6 percent and 2.9 percent respectively, it said.

Indonesia, which reported the second-fastest growth in average wages of 6 percent in 2009, is projected by Hewitt to report an 8.7 percent rise in salaries in 2010.
In 2009, India and China reported the slowest increase in salaries in about five years, it said.

Still, most Asian economies could witness a double-digit voluntary employee turnover rate, Hewitt said. India with 13.8 percent, Australia with 11 percent, and China and New Zealand with 10.3 percent each could lead the employee turnover in 2010.